Chapter 246: Hong Lie

As Xiao Nanfeng walked toward the Vault of Scriptures, a large number of Taiqing disciples greeted him on the way. He nodded to them all.

As he approached Ku Jiang's residence, he found the doors wide open. There were three figures deep in discussion: Ku Jiang, Zhao Yuanjiao, and a middle-aged man with a muscular physique.

"Master, Senior Brother, I've returned," Xiao Nanfeng called out from outside the door.

Zhao Yuanjiao's eyes lit up as he smiled.

Ku Jiang smiled in relief. "Enter."

"Yes, Master!" Xiao Nanfeng stepped into the hall.

"You're Xiao Nanfeng?" The middle-aged man suddenly stood up and considered him.

Xiao Nanfeng gave the man a quizzical look. "This is...?"

"Nanfeng, this is the Mortal division leader and your senior uncle, Hong Lie," Ku Jiang replied.

"I greet Senior Uncle Hong." Xiao Nanfeng bowed.

"You've grown so big! Your father wouldn't recognize you if he were to return now, I'd bet." Hong Lie smiled.

Xiao Nanfeng looked toward Hong Lie. Was this the senior brother that his father had mentioned, with whom he had a lifelong bond? He had initially come to the Taiqing Immortal Sect in hopes of seeking assistance from Hong Lie, but had ultimately chosen not to do so because he was on guard.

"I've heard about your situation over these last few days. I would never have expected that you were in such dire straits. Now that I'm aware of it, I don't intend to let you suffer any further," Hong Lie replied seriously.

Xiao Nanfeng smiled and nodded, but didn't reply. In the decade in which he had been a captive of the Xiao manor, Hong Lie hadn't appeared even once—and now, his protection would be extraneous.

"Have you really not heard even a single rumor of Nanfeng's straits these past years?" Ku Jiang asked.

"Senior Brother Ku, given my relationship with Xiao Hongye, do you really think that I'd stand by and do nothing if I knew that his son was being mistreated?" Hong Lie asked.

"In other words, Nalan Qiankun deliberately hid his malicious treatment of Xiao Nanfeng from you?" Ku Jiang pressed.

Xiao Nanfeng stood to the side and watched as his master stood up for him.

Hong Lie shook his head. "He wouldn't. Would Nalan Qiankun—Emperor Tianshu—be so petty? Why would he mistreat Xiao Hongye's son? There would be no reason to do so, and it would only invite petty rumors."

"How could that explain Nanfeng's decade of mistreatment in the Xiao manor, then? He's easily able to survey his lands, and he pledged to take care of Xiao Hongye's son on his behalf. Despite all that, without Nanfeng's own wiles, he would be nothing more than a crippled cultivator by now," Elder Ku declared.

Hong Lie considered the situation carefully. "We've been remiss. Nalan Qiankun and I have been busy with a big affair. We return only occasionally, and he only has an avatar in the Tianshu Empire. It's likely that something has happened to that avatar, but now that we've returned, that problem will easily be resolved."

"His avatar? That's no excuse. What you've revealed indicates that Nalan Qiankun cared not for this obligation and responsibility that he bears to Xiao Hongye. Has he forgotten that, if not for Xiao Hongye's voluntary withdrawal, he would never have become Emperor Tianshu? Xiao Hongye cared little for fame and power, but that doesn't mean that others can claim what belongs to him. He entrusted you with his son, and yet..." Elder Ku trailed off, a cold smile on his face.

"As I said, something must have gone wrong. This would never have happened otherwise. Don't accuse us of being malign, Ku Jiang. I, Nalan Qiankun, and Xiao Hongye were the three pillars of the Mortal division, and we are sworn brothers. There's no way that we would turn against one of our own. As an outsider, you have no right to judge us," Hong Lie replied.

Ku Jiang's smile turned brittle as it widened. "I have no right to judge the relationship among the three of you, but Nanfeng's my disciple now. I intend to fight for what belongs to him. You claim to bear a deep and abiding relationship with Xiao Hongye, but your neglect has caused Xiao Nanfeng to suffer. I ask you now: Do you intend to speak up to help him reclaim what is rightfully his?"

"What do you mean?" Hong Lie frowned.

"We'll leave the matter of Xiao Hongye and his wife's disappearance aside for now. If I'm not mistaken, before Xiao Hongye left, he requested that all the fortune owed to him from the Tianshu Empire to be left for his son's cultivation. Are you aware of this matter?" Ku Jiang demanded.

Hong Lie frowned. "I'm aware of it. I heard Xiao Hongye mention this in the past."

"Nanfeng has never received any fortune from the Tianshu Empire. Will you speak up on Nanfeng's behalf?" Ku Jiang asked.

"I'll ask Nalan Qiankun about this myself. Nanfeng will be granted what fortune he is owed." Hong Lie nodded firmly.

"Furthermore, the titled lands of the Xiao clan have been beset by rogue cultivators. Armies of the Tianshu Empire have supposedly been heading there to quell the disturbance, but aren't they just splitting up the Xiao lands among themselves? Do they really think Marquis Xiao dead, never to return?" Ku Jiang continued.

Hong Lie's frown deepened. "I don't know enough about what's going on there. I'll look into that as well."

"Hong Lie, something's wrong with Nalan Qiankun," Ku Jiang finally said.

"Senior Brother Ku, you must be overthinking things, surely?"

"You must have heard of Zhao Tianheng's attempted assassination of Zhao Yuanjiao, at least? Nalan Qiankun told Zhao Tianheng that whoever controls the blackguards will receive the portion of Zhao Tianjue's fortune owed to him. That was why Zhao Tianheng embarked on his disastrous plan to kill his nephew. I naturally will act in Yuanjiao's defense, so zhao Tianheng would have to go against me and possibly even attempt to foment internal unrest within the Ascended division."

Hong Lie narrowed his eyes. "Zhao Tianheng was narrow-minded and acted with evil and malice. How can Nalan Qiankun be blamed for his actions?"

"You don't believe me? You're on good terms with Nalan Qiankun, aren't you? In that case, I ask that you reclaim the fortune due Xiao Nanfeng by means of Xiao Hongye, and the fortune due Zhao Yuanjiao as the head of the blackguards. If you can reclaim the fortune rightfully owed to my disciples, I'll drop the matter entirely."

"Senior Brother Ku, do you harbor doubts about Nalan Qiankun?"

"Do not forget what happened two centuries ago. The Taiqing Immortal Sect paid a heavy price to found a divine empire, but that empire tossed us aside. Our sect was almost destroyed as a result. Two centuries later, we've overcome that hurdle. Countless cultivators from the Ascended and Mortal divisions gave their lives and bodies to found this Tianshu Empire. We must ensure that history does not repeat itself," Ku Jiang stated.

"Nalan Qiankun isn't that kind of man," Hong Lie replied.

"I hope I'm overthinking things as well." Ku Jiang had no intention of giving in.

Hong Lie was clearly ruffled by the repeated accusations leveled at Nalan Qiankun.

Xiao Nanfeng had been listening in to the conversation from the side. He couldn't be certain of Hong Lie's motives or personality, but he had come to the realization that, despite his master's inability to see, he seemed to understand the heart of the conflict better than anyone else.

"Nanfeng, Yuanjiao will be promoted to the Ascended division leader tomorrow. According to the customs of the Taiqing Immortal Sect, the appointment of a new division leader requires the affirmation of the sect master, along with the acknowledgment of the majority of the division's elders and disciples. The elders will not be a problem; I leave you in charge of the disciples," Ku Jiang stated.

"Of course, Master. Leave it to me," Xiao Nanfeng replied.

Ku Jiang nodded.

"Master, I have returned in part to attend Senior Brother Zhao's appointment ceremony, but also to report to you that I intend on recruiting Taiqing disciples to head to and regain control of my titled lands after the ceremony."

"Oh? Have you already issued a quest?" Ku Jiang asked.

"Yes. I have trustworthy companions recruiting disciples at the Hall of Immortal Recruitment."

Hong Lie frowned. "Elder Ku has intimated to me that your titled lands are in a state of chaos and disarray. It would be difficult to do anything with the help of just a few dozen disciples."

Xiao Nanfeng smiled. "I believe I should be able to enlist the help of a few thousand disciples."

"A few thousand disciples?" Hong Lie raised his eyebrows.

There were fewer than ten thousand disciples in the Taiqing Immortal Sect. Did Xiao Nanfeng really think so many would respond to his call? Was he serious?

"Don't you know?" Ku Jiang replied. "This isn't the first time that Nanfeng has led a thousand-member expedition."

"I had almost forgotten." Hong Lie blinked, then laughed as he turned to Xiao Nanfeng. "Both you and Nalan Yunhai are recruiting disciples. I suppose the majority of the Taiqing disciples will be working with one of you two."

"Perhaps," Xiao Nanfeng replied, smiling. He didn't think Nalan Yunhai would find himself with many recruits at all.

"Nalan Yunhai is investigating Nalan Feng's disappearance in the draconic palace. I heard of your feud with Nalan Feng. Did you encounter him within the draconic palace?" Hong Lie asked.

"No, never," Xiao Nanfeng replied, shaking his head.

"That's a pity. Too much has occurred in the draconic palace of late. Nalan Feng never made it out of the draconic palace, and I fear the worst." Hong Lie frowned.

Xiao Nanfeng didn't respond. He stood quietly to the side.

"Nalan Yunhai's a decent man, and he once intimated that he intends to lead an army to help quell the unrest in your lands. You might get along well," Hong Lie added.

Xiao Nanfeng certainly didn't believe this, but he didn't discredit the notion outright. He only nodded and smiled.

"On the contrary, Nalan Yunhai seems like a rather deceitful young man. How would he help Nanfeng? More like he wants to claim the Xiao lands for himself!" Ku Jiang shook his head and said precisely what Xiao Nanfeng thought.

"Senior Brother, how could you besmirch a younger-generation cultivator like that? Nalan Yunhai's a generous young man with honorable intentions. What good would the Xiao lands do him?"

Just then, an anxious voice came from outside the hall. "Elder Ku, Disciple Ye Sanshui requests to meet Senior Brother Xiao!"

"Enter," Ku Jiang said.

Ye Sanshui rushed over to Xiao Nanfeng. "Has something happened at the Hall of Immortal Recruitment? What are you doing here?"

"Perhaps because he noticed how many disciples we've recruited, Nalan Yunhai secretly seized Dafu. I don't know whether he's dead or alive. Senior Brother Xiao, what should we do?" Ye Sanshui asked.

"What?" Xiao Nanfeng frowned.

Hong Lie's eyes widened. He had just praised Nalan Yunhai's generosity—what was going on now?

"Ridiculous! How could Nalan Yunhai do such a thing?" Hong Lie demanded.

Only then did Ye Sanshui notice Hong Lie's presence. He immediately bowed. "I greet the division leader."